Reflections on 2025

We have taken some time to reflect on an exceptionally busy 2025, and below are some of the highlights.

45th Anniversary
In 2025, RHB celebrated its 45th anniversary - a milestone marking over four decades of engineering excellence.

Founded in 1980 by Richard House, RHB has grown into a resilient and progressive Mechanical and Electrical Consultancy practice. The firm relocated to its current premises in the early 1990s, rebuilding them in 1998 following a significant fire.

Over the decades, RHB has expanded internationally, delivering projects across China, Denmark, Africa, and the Falklands, including notable commercial and retail developments in Nairobi.

RHB's history is defined by adaptability, ambition, and a commitment to delivering impactful design solutions, whether navigating the 2008 financial crisis or working in diverse global markets. Going forward, as standards, regulations, and technology evolve, we are investing in both new talent and seasoned expertise to meet these challenges effectively.

To celebrate this milestone, we invited clients, colleagues, and friends to join us for a celebration aboard the Tattershall Castle on the River Thames on 15 May.

Projects and Clients
With 218 enquiries answered and 87 projects assigned, 2025 was an exceptionally busy year. Our client retention rate remained steady at nearly 90%, and we’re delighted to welcome 25 new clients to the RHB portfolio, including Taylor Wimpey London, Graham Construction, Keepmoat Homes, and Kier.

New projects include:

• Capability Refurbishment Design (Commercial)
  RHB is providing initial RIBA Stage 1 & 2 services for a commercial refurbishment in the Portsmouth area (undisclosed client). The scope will expand to include design development for RIBA Stages 3-6 once the Stage 2 reports are analysed and approved.
• One Horton Heath Primary School (Education)
  Peter Marsh Consulting appointed RHB as sub-consultant on the One Horton Heath Primary School project for Eastleigh Borough Council. Together with Re-Formatt, RHB is providing MEP designs for RIBA Stages 1 to 3A in support of the planning submission. Our responsibilities include developing the design concept, establishing sustainability strategies, supporting the BREEAM assessor in achieving early credits, and collaborating with the team throughout the building’s development.
• Grosvenor House (Commercial to Residential Conversion)
  New client Criterion Capital appointed RHB for RIBA Stages 2-6 to convert a higher-risk building from commercial to residential use, creating 80 one- and two-bed units in Croydon.
• Wates Way (New Residential)
  New client Taylor Wimpey London is building an apartment block containing 50 units over a Lidl convenience store. RHB has been appointed to provide developed design up to Stage 4.

Professional Development
We continue to encourage all engineering staff to join professional bodies and support their professional development by contributing to membership costs. Congratulations to the following team members who achieved their CIBSE Associate and Licentiate qualifications in 2025:

CIBSE Associates: Josi Gorski, Maher Saifo, and Mayank Sharma

CIBSE Licentiate: Neil England, Bikram Gurung, Colin Chan, and Kieran Constable

Growing our Team
To meet increased demand, we’ve expanded the team by four and were delighted to welcome Jalil Abdullah and Grace Anderson (Mechanical), Zac Lai (Revit), and Diana Simpson (Admin).

Charity of the Year
Our charity of the year for 2025 was St Michael’s Hospice in Basingstoke. Opened in 1992 with a mission to offer choice and understanding around complex end-of-life conditions, the hospice now provides the highest-quality palliative care to over 500 patients from North Hampshire each year.

Their chosen emblem, the Snow Goose, symbolises protection, bravery and loyalty. It represents the unwavering dedication to be there for their patients and families, providing care and assistance when required. In the wild, these geese fly in family units, and if one lags behind or lands, the others will accompany it to ensure it’s safe and never left behind. A dedicated team of nurses, doctors, and therapists delivers free, high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care and support to patients, their families, and carers. This includes care at the hospice and at home, patient and family support, bereavement and living well services, and therapies such as physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

With only 16% of their funds provided by the NHS, the rest is raised by the community.

Throughout the year, the RHB team raised £1,400 for St Michael’s by participating in their Woodland Walk, Big Wheel Cycle, Golf Day, Reindeer Run, and various in-house fundraisers.

Plans for 2026
RHB Partnership is delighted to announce the expansion of its national presence with the opening of a new office in central Manchester. Strategically located at City Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, New York Street, this hub strengthens RHB’s ability to collaborate and respond quickly to client and partner needs across the North of England. This milestone fulfills a long-held vision of Harvey and Stuart, who identified Manchester as a key location for RHB’s growth and seized the opportunity when the timing aligned.

We are also delighted to announce that our charity of the year for 2026 will be Hampshire Hospital Charity. The charity supports patients, staff, and volunteers at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, serving Basingstoke, Winchester, Andover, and Alton hospitals.

The RHB team looks forward to supporting the charity’s 2026 fundraising program, which launches with a Comedy Night at Basingstoke College of Technology on 27 February. We’ll also host several events throughout the year to support this important cause.